Event: Autumn Water Vole Survey at Bude

We are happy to announce that we will be running our Autumn water vole field sign survey in the Bude catchment and invite you to volunteer. Surveying will run from Monday 24th to Wednesday 26th October from 9am till 4pm. You can come and join in for any length of time.

The canal and riverbanks will be walked and the vegetation will be searched for field signs such as burrows, feeding stations, latrines and runs. Please contact us if you’re interested to volunteer or require more details.

A water vole burrow

Water voles have gone from a widespread species to near extinction in Britain, however, water voles are now slowly repopulating the land in the Bude catchment. Starting in the summer 2012, approximately 550 water voles have been released as part of a reintroduction programme. You can find out more about this project here on our website.

Water vole feeding station

Surveying now takes place twice a year to ensure the water vole populations are still thriving.

We recommend this event for anyone with an interest in wildlife and the local area, and would like to learn more about water voles and how to spot field signs.

Locations will be:

Monday 24th: Cann Orchard, Marhamchurch

Tuesday 25th: Bude Canal

Wednesday 26th: Helebridge

A patted water vole latrine

If you are interested, but unable to attend, we will be running another survey in spring 2017.